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So much for having compassion for Apple chief Steve Jobs during his latest medical leave of absence. On Monday, Netgear CEO Patrick Lo went on a verbal rampage against Apple and its founding father Steve Jobs. Blasting the company and Jobs over their corporate atmosphere of secrecy inside an already tightly closed business model, Lo did not mince words as he predicted Apple's ultimate demise.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Lo was speaking at a luncheon in Sydney, Australia when his rant began - a tirade that hailed the eventual failure of Apple because of its closed platform. "Ultimately a closed system just can't go that far," Lo suggested. "If they continue to close it and let Android continue to creep up then it's pretty difficult as I see it." Lo, however, didn't just spout off with examples of his theory. Referencing Betamax and VHS, in one instance, Lo's speech was teeming with examples of how open platforms commonly prevail over their closed counterparts. The Netgear chief says Apple has to "find a way to open up iTunes without giving too much away on their revenue generation model." Lo says Steve Jobs "wants to suffocate the distribution so even though he doesn't own the content he could basically demand a ransom."

Once Steve Jobs goes away, which is probably not far away, then Apple will have to make a strategic decision on whether to open up the platform.

In particular, the comment from Lo referencing the prospect of Jobs "going away" has been widely criticized given Jobs' current medical leave. In April 2009, Jobs underwent a liver transplant. At the time, his prognosis was "excellent." But earlier this month, just one and a half years after Jobs returned from his liver transplant, Apple announced Jobs' latest medical leave, raising questions about the Apple boss and just how healthy he really is - or isn't. Lo, however, didn't express much personal concern for Steve Jobs. And although Lo never mentioned Jobs' health, he did mention Jobs' ego. "What's the reason for him to trash Flash?" Lo asked. "There's no reason other than ego." Lo was also certain to mention that he's never had an opportunity to voice his concerns directly to Apple's CEO. "Steve Jobs doesn't give me a minute," Lo stated.